Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested six suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and recovered ₦8.25 million allegedly paid as ransom for the release of a female victim abducted in Abuja.
The suspects were apprehended by detectives attached to the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following an intelligence-led operation that tracked the activities of the syndicate across parts of the FCT and neighbouring Niger State.
Security sources disclosed that the operation stemmed from a distress report received on June 29 regarding the abduction of a young woman in the Maitama area of Abuja.
According to the sources, the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of ₦20 million but later agreed to accept ₦8.25 million before releasing the victim on July 3.
Investigations, aided by digital tracking and intelligence gathering, reportedly traced the victim’s location to Kwan-Kwashe Village in Niger State, where she was held during captivity.
The sources said police operatives maintained surveillance on the suspects after the victim regained freedom, leading to the arrest of six members of the alleged syndicate in Suleja, Niger State, on July 5.
Those arrested were identified as Ifeoma Nnamchi, 35, alleged to be the gang leader; Peter Rasheed Onwunumah, 40; Olanipekun Anuoluwa, 46; Jemimah Monday, 25; Gabriel Nnamchi, 14; and Stanley Nnamchi, 17.
Items recovered during the operation included the ₦8.25 million ransom payment, two vehicles a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Camry a cutlass, seven pairs of AirPods, assorted jewellery suspected to have been stolen from previous victims, five mobile phones and a laptop.
A security source familiar with the investigation said, “The operation led to the recovery of the full ransom paid by the victim’s family, as well as other items suspected to be proceeds of criminal activities.”
The source further disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that two of the suspects, Ifeoma Nnamchi and Olanipekun Anuoluwa, had previously been arrested by the FCT Police Command in 2022 and 2019, respectively, for similar offences.
Investigators believe the syndicate has been operating along the Kubwa Expressway, Maitama Federal Housing Road and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory since 2024.
The arrests represent a major breakthrough in the Command’s ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes in the nation’s capital and surrounding communities.
Police authorities said investigations are continuing to uncover other members of the network and determine the full extent of the group’s criminal activities.
